Relief beckons as the Lagos State Government flagged off the continuation of the re-construction of the Lagos-Badagry international road and promised to deliver the next segment Agboju to Tradefair before the end of the year.

Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Doctor Obafemi Hamzat who led other top government officials to the construction site at the Trade Fair Complex to the event, said state government has prioritised the construction of the road because of its economic importance to the African Sub-Region.

Hamzat said the road was the gateway of Nigeria that connected Seme, Republic of Benin and other neighboring countries, recalling that, to underscore the importance of the road, the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration immediately after inauguration led a team to visit the site and promised to mobilise contractors, China Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, back to site within one month.

While lamenting the poor condition of the road and the harrowing experience road users and the residents of the corridor overtime, Hamzat said the administration of Governor Sanwo-Olu was determined to complete the ten-lanes Lagos-Badagry Expressway in fulfillment of her campaign promise to the people of Lagos State.

Hamzat assured that government was determined to put the ugly experience on the international route behind in record time, so palliative measures would be taken to ensure the Trade Fair to Okokomaiko Segment of the road was motorable round the year pending when the construction of that stretch would commence’’ .

He expressed satisfaction that the synergy between the Lagos State and Federal Governments on the road was yielding positive results, revealing that the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, has commenced maintenance work on the Igbo-Elerin Junction to Agbara while the Federal Government has also awarded the reconstruction and expansion of Agbara to Seme to six lanes.

According to the Deputy Governor, the reconstruction and upgrading of the sixty kilometre Lagos/Badagry Expressway from Eric Moore to Okokomaiko when completed would comprise 2 Toll lanes, 2 Service lanes, 1Bus Rapid Transit,BRT, lane, Central Reserve for 2way light Rail Mass Transit and other support infrastructures.

Hamzat expressed optimism that the project when completed would bring succor to the residents and expand business opportunities along the corridor; restore the glory of the road as an international route, enhance international economic activities –movement of human and material goods, improve social life and reduce the stress induced health challenges while value of properties along the corridor will appreciate.

The deputy governor while appealing to the residents to be supportive of the present administration, said government was not unaware of the present state of some inner roads, noting that government was working round the clock to reverse the situation.

Earlier in his welcome address, Permanent Secretary, Works and Infrastructure Ministry, Engineer Olujimi Hotonu said the Eric Moore Badagry project was first conceptualised by government in nineteen-seventy-four and was constructed by the Federal Government in nineteen-seventy-seven, when the need for having highway to connect all the countries of the sub-regions was agreed upon by the Economic Country Of West African States, ECOWAS.

Hotonu said the travel time on the road which connected the Nation and other neighbouring countries which used to take fifteen to thirty minutes now takes between three and four hours, saying the extreme regular congestion had a significant impact on economic activities, reduces the potential for future growth and perhaps most importantly it has a large detrimental impact on the quality of life of the millions of Lagosians on this axis’.

He said the scope of works included the provision of Lay-bys for buses and service ducts, costruction of Pedestrian Bridges, BRT Bus stops, Park and Ride and BRT depots, Tolled link interchanges, Flyovers, Construction of Toll Plazas, Road Markings, Road signs and traffic lights and landscaping.

Also speaking at the event, CCECC General Manager, Lagos Office, Bill Bian promised to speed up work and delever within record time.

He said the company was aware of the hardship road users encounter and promised to fix bad spots such as Tradefair under bridge, Barracks and Iyano Iba immediaitely.